RE: New Music Tech and Glamming Up!

People never used shoulder rests until the late 20th century! Maybe a roll or a pad, but nothing like the contraptions that they have now! You do have to develop the technique for it, as it is quite different... but you are more in contact with the instrument, and the bow also is part of the stabilisation and hold... meaning that you have a very different contact with the strings (I would say better...).

In some ways, it is like wondering how people ride bikes without training wheels! But I would never say that to my modern colleagues... wait, yes... yes, I do!